SENTENCING STATEMENTS
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HMA v Jamie Purdie
Jan 20, 2026
On sentencing, Judge Arrol KC told Purdie:
“Jamie Purdie, on 17th December 2025, you pled guilty by section 76 indictment as follows:
An assault to attempt murder upon Steven Gordon by discharging a sawn-off shotgun at him, culpable and reckless discharge of the sawn-off shotgun, contraventions of Sections 17 (2) and (5) of the Firearms Act, 1968 by having in your possession a firearm whilst committing these crimes. You also pled guilty to contraventions of Sections 2, 87 (1) and 143 (1) and (2) of the Road Traffic Act 1988, that is dangerous driving, driving a vehicle without being the holder of a license to drive the vehicle and driving without insurance. Finally, you pled guilty that on 8th August 2011 at Hamilton Sheriff Court you were sentenced to an imprisonment term three years, being a term of three years of more and did have in your possession a firearm, namely a sawn off shotgun, this being a contravention of Section 21(2) and (4) of the Firearms Act 1968, as amended. All charges were aggravated by you being subject to two bail orders at the time of commission of the offences.
All charges arose as a consequence of events on 3rd February 2025. It started at the home address of the complainer Steven Gordon and his family. It is a residential street in a new housing development within the Garthamlock area of Glasgow.
A report that a firearm was discharged on a street on 3 February 2025, shortly before 9am was received by Police Scotland. That firearm had been discharged, by you. Mercifully, no person was injured following the discharge but the intended target was Steven Gordon.
You had travelled there in a black Skoda and after discharging the firearm, left there in the same vehicle, bearing false registration plates.
On 7 February 2025 police officers and ballistic experts visually and forensically examined the area. Gunshot damage was noted on external areas, a black Mercedes van parked in driveway nearby, on the front wall of the house and on the ground bathroom window. A single pellet was also recovered within the doormat on the front doorstep of a neighbouring property.
There then followed a lengthy chase, with you being pursued by Steven Gordon. You drove at speed, undertaking vehicles, passing through a red light, and over a grass verge before crashing and stopping. I have viewed your driving, the roads were busy with multiple cars being affected by the chase. It was a busy time of day. In short, it was terrifying.
After the crash, you exited the driver’s seat of the car holding a bag from which a sawn-off shot gun fell out, landing on the ground.
The vehicle being driven by Steven Gordon, drove towards you and struck you, which caused you to fall to the ground. The vehicle stopped and reversed backwards towards you with you getting to your feet and firing the shotgun. On the shotgun being fired, Steven Gordon’s vehicle completed a u-turn on the roundabout and drove off.
You made off on foot towards the M8 embankment, carrying the shotgun, running up the embankment and depositing the gun on the embankment.
Eventually, you spoke with police whilst you were at hospital receiving treatment. You told them that this was an act carried out in repayment of a drug debt accumulated by you, your family had been threatened and you did this to keep your family safe.
Innocent citizens are entitled to live their lives without being subjected to terrifying criminal behaviour being brought into their path by dangerous driving and discharge of firearms, deadly weapons.
These offences were brought about by your involvement in drugs. Courts cannot and will not tolerate drug debts being discharged by criminality.
I consider culpability and harm to be high. Multiple aggravating factors are present, the use of a modified firearm, shots were fired at two locations on two separate occasions, each location being a public place in what could only be described as a planned hit. As you were seeking to deliver a message on 3rd February 2025, the sentence I am about to impose will send a message. The message is this, the Courts will not allow people like you to cause fear in society.
You are now 36 years of age.
You indicated your desire to plead guilty by Section 76 letter in terms of the current indictment which was received on 20th October 2025. This was 7 months after your first appearance on petition. I shall discount this plea but it will be discounted appropriately in light of the sentence that I am about to impose whilst having regard to the timing of the plea.
I have taken into account all that has been said by your counsel this morning and all that is contained within the criminal justice and social work report.
You had a difficult and challenging childhood, with you taking on a caring role for your siblings. Your relationship with your father was unconventional but close laterally, until his passing a year ago.
You have two children.
You are skilled having employment until redundancy during Covid. I note your mental health issues and substance misuse, which you attribute as the root cause of this offending. You appear to have dealt with this issue whilst in custody, I commend you for that. I note your resolve to turn away from offending upon release for custody.
The author of the criminal justice and social work report said that you accept responsibility and express remorse.
You have previous convictions for dishonesty, contraventions of the Misuse of Drugs Act, 1971, possession of a knife and multiple contraventions of the Road Traffic Act 1988, all occurring between 2005 and 2024.
You have been remanded in custody since 6th March 2025.
Your counsel accepts that a custodial sentence is appropriate.
The LS/CMI risk assessment places your risk of becoming involved in further generalised offending behaviour as ‘high’.
For such serious offences, there is no appropriate alternative to a prison sentence. It is necessary to punish you, to seek to deter you and others from possessing firearms and engaging in violence with same and to protect the public.
Given the nature of these offences and the terms of the criminal justice social work report and risk assessment, I do not consider that the normal period of licence would be sufficient to protect the public from serious harm from you. Accordingly, I shall impose an extended sentence.
In fixing the custodial term, I have considered all the circumstances of the case.
In relation to charges 1, attempted murder and 7, culpable and reckless discharge of a firearm you will be subject to a cumulo sentence, that is an extended sentence of 16 years 6 months with a 13 year 6 months custodial term and a 3 year extension period during which you will be subject to licence conditions fixed by the Scottish Ministers. If you break any condition of licence, you can be recalled to prison. The custodial term would have been 18 years but I have discounted this to take account of the timing of your plea. 12 months of this sentence is attributable to the bail aggravations. The sentence will be backdated to 6th March, 2025.
In relation to the remaining charges, I impose the following periods of imprisonment which will be served concurrently, that is, at the same time, as the extended sentence on charges 1 and 7.
In relation to charge 2 , I impose a period of imprisonment of 4 years, reduced from 5 years in light of your plea.
In relation to charge 3, I impose a period of imprisonment of 27 months, reduced from 3 years in light of your plea.
In relation to charge 4, I impose a period of imprisonment of 18 months, reduced from 2 years in light of your plea. In addition, you will be disqualified from holding or obtaining a driving license for a period of 10 years and ordered to resit the extended test.
In relation to charge 5, I shall admonish you and your license will be endorsed.
In relation to charge 6, I shall admonish you and your license will be endorsed.
In relation to charge 8, I impose a period of imprisonment of 4 years, reduced from 5 years in light of your plea.
In relation to charge 9, I impose a period of imprisonment of 27 months, reduced from 3 years in light of your plea.
That is all.”
20 January 2026